I Always Fight for My Friends
by Soldierofspirit6136
Summary: What if the Mard Geer had succeeded in activating face but the results were only temporary in a small area, creating a magic dead zone. It would be enough to activate END, but what happens is a shock to everyone. Only from anime. Mostly theory of what I think may happen. Major spoilers. Feel free to post a comment on what you think may happen.
1. Chapter 1

Natsu POV:

This guy just won't stop talking. He won't stop carrying that stupid book and he won't stop smiling that creepy grin. Ha, I guess I'll have to wipe it off for him. Gray is standing next to me as the twin Sabertooth dragonslayers, Sting and Rogue fight the strange demon that came out of the stranger giant flower that kinda smells like that guildmaster I KO ed before.

My true goal was in front of me though. The book. I need to get it. Igneel gave me a job and I'm not about to fail now. " Yo, Tartaros - dude! Give me that book!".

The guy in question just continues to grin. "I don't think you understand the importance of this book, dragonslayer." He tilts his head to the side, "or you are just stupid."

I see Gray don his own grin at that last comment. "Don't bother trying to insult him, Demon, he's too used to it."

I turn to Gray with a new fire in my eyes, "Oh yeah? Well how about I get you used to my fist in your face. "

" What did you say Flame brain? Trying to pick a fight?"

"I'm not trying Icecube!"

We are head to head now, completely forgetting our actual opponent standing 15 metres away from us. We forget the fact that we have a mission and that the face bombs are about to go off. We ignore the battle between the most powerful dragons in the world above our heads.

In a rare display of thinking however, (hah Gray thinking), Gray turns back to Mard Geer, " Well, I want to kick your butt as much as I usually do but right now I've got some unfinished business with this Demon. No point in letting him get off easy while we are fighting right?".

"For once, I actually agree with the Snowman, I'll finish winning later, right now that book is mine!"

With a yell, we both charge the demon standing calmly in his spot.

"Ice Make: Lance."

" Fire Dragon's Fist"

With our magic releasing we attacked the standing demon. I ducked low and went for an uppercut barely missing his chin as he stepped back. With our amazing teamwork however, I had just made an opening for Gray to use his newfound 'Demon slayer powers".

He succeeded in throwing our opponent back into the rubble of what's left of his fortress.

I let a grin come over my face at the way we kicked his butt. But suddenly a strange feeling came over me. I could see it reflected in Gray's face as well. Something was wrong.

There was a giant magical pressure building. I've never felt such energy before and I was almost hit by the Etherious weapon. It wasn't even a magical power but more twisted and dark almost like an anti magical energy. I look to the sky, "Face.".

Gray still stands beside me shock also on his face as he faces what looks like a beam of black light coming from where the centre of the floating fortress used to lie. "They didn't stop it."

I notice Acnologia flying away from the blast and wonder what could scare a dragon. Igneel continues to follow him as he disappears over the mountain line.

The beam continues to slowly expand, consuming whomever is in its path. I don't know where my guildmates are but only hope that they are running. As I think this, I see figures moving away from the beam. "It's the guild!"

I'm happy they are all right, though badly beaten and exhausted looking. They won't be able to run far. They are still carrying Laxus and the others with them. I see Elfman, Gajeel and the master among the others. But no Lucy, Erza or the Exceeds.

"Where are Lucy and the others?" I ask searching for them in the crowd.

"We don't know, they were separated. We need to keep moving." The master responds calmly. He always keeps his head.

I shake my head, "No! We can't leave them behind. They could be caught in the beam!"

"There is no point Natsu, Face will be activated all over the world anyway. We won't be able to escape it forever. We can only take care of those we have now."

"I'm going to find them! I won't run away!" I start towards the beam intent on finding them any way I can.

"Natsu, don't be stupid! You touch that beam and all of the magic particles in your body will be destroyed. You'll be dead in minutes." Gray snaps at me.

I raise my voice higher, "I told you I'm - "

"Natsuuuuu!"

I recoil in surprise as I'm hit with my frantically flying best friend. "Happy you're okay! Where are the others?"

"Right here Natsu!" I turn round and am relieved to see our missing members running towards us. They all look beat up and are carrying the Sabertooth lady but look relatively safe.

Erza hurriedly approaches Gramps. "Master we have to get out of here. Face is activating."

"We know Erza, but where can we go? If Face fully activates all magic in the world is destroyed. It would catch us wherever we go." Gramps responds. It suddenly looks as if all the fight has left him.

Erza smiles," No, Master we can run. We were unable to stop the activation of Face but we were able to deactivate the outer face mechanisms and significantly decrease the central face's range. We should be safe if we can get past those mountains west of us. "

Everyone is shocked and overjoyed at the news. A cheer for the group goes up and everyone is smiling again. I see the fight instantly go back into Gramps and he's up again making plans. "Alright, everyone, let it not be said that Fairy Tail sits on their butts when they needed to run! Let's book it!"

With that command, the rest of the guild yells out an , "Aye sir" and runs for the hills. The exceeds carry those who couldn't run and Doranbolt uses his magic to transport the wounded one at a time.

As the guild runs for it, I remember the book that Igneel wanted me to get. I run over to where I last saw the Tartaros master looking for it.

"Natsu come on we need to go!" Lucy calls.

"I hate to say it but Cinder Dunce(1) has the right idea. We need that book. " Gray runs over to where I am and helps me search.

The guild members who stayed behind to wait for the wounded to be transported help us search. About 20 of us are searching now. I'm about to give up when I hear faint laughter.

"Hahaha, you are fools. You focus on keeping your precious pathetic magic and you forgot the thing that would truly destroy you. "

I recognize that smug voice anywhere and am correct when I see Mard Geer slowly standing up from the rubble. "I don't need the whole world to be magic free. Just an area. Any area. I only need the the absence of magic to trigger the rebirth of END. You're naivete in thinking you have won will be your utter downfall."

I see the book lying beside him and move to pick it up. Before I can however, the beam of black antimagic energy pulses. Everyone freezes, and stares at the beam wondering what will happen.

Silence reigns and everyone is unsure of what to do until I hear Lucy whisper, "It's going to explode." . Instantly, in that next moment, the darkness explodes. There are some screams coming from whomever of our guild stayed behind as the blackness engulfed us. I instantly feel weak and sink to my knees.

I feel as though my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I can hear others collapse to the ground around me but cannot see anything. I fall flat on the ground and try focus on my breathing. When did it become so hard? I can't lift my head from the ground anymore.

The darkness clears suddenly, revealing the bodies of my guildmates strewn across the ground. Some are still struggling to move like Erza, Gray and Gajeel and others look as if they are already unconscious. Mira, Elfman, Wendy and Levy. The others look as thouh they can't even twitch, kinda like i'm feeling right now.

The only one actually standing is Mard Geer. In fact he looked better than ever. He stood in the middle of the crowd of weak bodies still clutching the book to his chest. A look of absolute victory covering his face. "It is done, my Lord Zeref will be most pleased with me. I have done what others could not, I have set the stage for the return of the most powerful demon ever created!"

I struggle to get to my hands and knees, seeing Erza stumble to her feet with a determined look on her face, "You haven't won anything! As… long as Fairy Tail is still here… you will never have to stop fighting us! "

Mard Geer turned to Erza with a slight smile on his face, "You can fight all you like, but I will still crush you like the pathetic little creatures you are!"

With the end of his statement, the demon let loose a backhand of curse power, striking Erza to the ground where she was too weak to get up again.

"You bastard! Attacking an opponent who has no magic is a coward's way." I say with as much venom in my voice as I can. "If you want to fight, fight with me!"

Mard Geer looks at me critically, and shakes his head. A grin once again on his face, "Why should I fight you when you are already on your knees?"

A flash of rage fills me not for myself entirely but for all the others in my guild who couldn't even get to their knees. I use the last of my energy to get to my feet.

"Hah, now i'm standing." I speak weakly but make sure to look in his eyes so he can see my conviction and my fire. "I may not have my magic but I'll still beat the crap out of you!"

I take a few steps forward before the demon's glare darkens and he hits me with another backhand of curse, sending me to the ground to lay weakly on my back.

"I don't have time for games with you mortals, the time is now for END to rise! " He lifts the book to the sky and I feel a surge of dark power concentrating on the book. Mard Geer's eyes take on a quality similar to that of a bottomless pit as what is left of the Fairy Tail guild looks on.

After a few beats of continuously building energy, the demon brings the book down in front of himself and opens it. A black light more intense than any I have ever felt before engulfs the book. Then, it blinks out.

All who are still conscious watch in awe as the book crumbles in the hands of Mard Geer and falls to the ground as ash. The Master of Tartarus himself looks at his hands in horror and shock. "No. .NO!"

"What has happened? Where is END? "

I know it is not the right time but I chuckle anyway. I see some of the other guildmates also smile slightly. It is hard not to when someone opens a book expecting to unleash the most powerful evil in history for it to simply go 'poof'.

It was definitely the wrong thing to do as the demon's eyes filled with hate. "I have been tricked! It was a lie! You may laugh now but I am still the most powerful being to walk this land and I will still delight myself in torturing you to an inch of your miserable lives!"

With that scream of rage, he launched multiple curses at my guildmates. None of them could move but he continued his attack anyways. I was sickened and had to stop the monster. "Stop! Bastard, I said stop!"

I once again stumbled to my feet and stepped towards him. Mard Geer noticed this and aimed a black blade of power my way. Unable to dodge properly I collapsed back to the ground in order to avoid getting my head cut off. I groan as I feel one of my ribs break at my hard landing.

Mard Geer continued with his attack on my guildmates and I could hear screams of pain and people calling out to each other. We can't do anything. But we need to do something!

I once again stand up,holding my injured ribs, uncaring of the danger to myself. No one hurts my nakama! "You... will … stop!" I growl out each word with as much force as I can. Surprisingly, he does stop and turns towards me. I am unsure at first why he obeyed but then I realized he doesn't care either way. He holds all the power.

"What are you going to do? You are nothing without your magic. A punch cannot bruise me and a blade cannot scratch me! You could barely harm me with your magic!"

He thinks he holds all the power but that doesn't mean I give up. I never give up. " I don't need my magic! I will beat you with my hands and my feet!"

I take a step towards him. I can see my nakama watching me out of the corner of my eyes. What I see fuels me even more. I keep limping towards him, feeling every bruise and scrape now that I don't have my magic to rely on. He lets me walk towards him with an amused and partially disgusted look on his face.

"You dare walk towards me? I will not hesitate to kill you."

I hear what sounds like a gasp from one of my guildmates and what sounds like another person trying to stand up. When I am ithin one step of the demon, I raise my fist for a punch.

I've punched thousands of time before but it has never been more difficult, painful and useless than now. He easily stop it in his fist. I am not one to give up though and I pull it back to try again, only I fake with my right while going in with my left.

He easily catches this as well, but this time he will not let go. We stand there in silence for a few seconds before he angles his wrist down and snaps my wrist.

" aaaAAHHHH!" I scream as I fall to one knee in the first at his feet, clutching my left wrist against my side.

i hear cries of "Natsu!" from the crowd behind me and what sounds like someone starting to cry.

He again looks down at me. "Why do you continue to fight? You do no good for yourself or anyone. So why continue?"

I've been asked this w=question so many times, my answer is instant, "I fight because that is what you do for those you love. I fight to show my nakama that we still can. If I die I go down proving that Fairy Tail is a guild that never gives up on its friends!"

"Very well. Those sounded like last words."

My eyes widen at the realization that he as going to kill me now. He raises his hand at me but, before he activated his curse a frantic, "No!" as heard from the crowd. I turn my head and see Lucy valiantly standing as tall as she could, while shaking with the effort. "You will not hurt him!"

At the sound of Lucy's voice I try to rise again but am too weak to make it to my feet. I see others around Lucy also trying to stand in order to help but only a few can make it past their hands and feet. I grin at my guildmates and turn back to the master of Tartaros. " See, we never give up a fight."

Mard Geer's eyes turn cold and I see them lose all hint of any kind of amusement. For the first time since I first stood up, I was terrified for my friends.

"I am no longer amused by you. You have meddled with my plans far too much. Goodbye Fairy Tail." He raises his hand at my guild and starts to summon enough energy to kill everyone of those amazing wizards who stood up for me.

I panic. I can see that none of them will be able to dodge the attack. I lock eyes with Lucy who stares back at me with a small grin so similar to the one she was wearing the first time I ever saw her. I realise that I can't lose her. I can't lose any of them. I'm back on my feet in a second with the determination to do anything I can to save them. Anything!

I feel a new power surge through me. Something strange but not entirely foreign. I use that feeling to put all of my power into what will most likely be the last at of y life. With a near feral yell I swing my right arm in an uppercut right into the chin of the Master of Tartaros. On impact, I feel almost a snapping. Like a breaking of walls inside of me and my punch is once again cloaked in fire.

The demon's head snaps back and a look of shock is on his face before he is flung high in the air to fall to the ground a few metres away. I, myself am shocked as I look down at my cloaked in magical fire where there should be no magical fire.

My guildmates continue to stand where they were but no with their faces slack and jaws open. I look down at my hand to see it still wrapped in fire but not the same fire. I don't recognize this one. It is like something i've never seen before. It is aggressive, and extremely powerful but there is almost a type of cruelty to it. I realise that whatever this fire is would never distinguish friend from foe but consume them all.

I quickly dissipate my fire and tell myself I will never use it again. I turn to my guildmates, wrist still immobilized at my side. I look them over and when I am convinced that they are all alive and not badly injured I let loose the biggest smile I could make.

" I told him we wouldn't go down without a fight!"

To be continued:

(1) My own original nickname for Natsu. I couldn't think of any other ones.

Note: I do not own Fairy Tail or any characters associated with them.

I'd love to hear some comments. Any advice you can give me or any ideas on what to do next. I have a general idea but I'd love to hear more! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks for all your reviews! I loved getting feedback and your ideas. You guys rock! Sorry I've been a bit slow to update, I've been in Portugal for a a couple of weeks. Haven't had a lot of free time. Back to the story and once again you are all da BOMB!

The once great flying fortress is in ruins. Its remains lie over the countryside several miles from the town of Magnolia. The rubble creates valleys and hills where there were previously none, adding to the feeling of a battle being recently fought.

I am currently standing in one of those valleys, a group of my closest friends standing off to my right and the either dead or unconscious body of the 'master' of Tartaros lay several meters in front of me. We remain silent as the tension in the air increases.

I am currently standing on my slightly shaking legs with my left fist clutched against my side, for once in my life, deep in thought.I can honestly say I have no idea what happened. I'm not complaining though, that bastard deserved a broken face, but I'm still confused as to how I was able to use my magic when face had been activated. Had it been turned off? Is that possible?

"Natsu!" My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the call of my name. I turn as I'm embraced by my best friend. Her arms are wrapped tightly around me, squeezing my broken wrist but I really don't care about the pain right now. All that mattered was that my friends were okay.

With Lucy's actions, the tension in the air breaks, as all my Fairy Tail family comes rushing towards me in a weak but utterly determined mob.

"Natsu, way to go!" "That was awesome!" "What a man!" My guildmates laughed as they came together in pile up only seen in the Fairy Tail guild. I'm laughing with them, and my concerns are quickly forgotten. We did it! Fairy Tail came out on top!

In the celebration, I'm tugged out of the crowd by Erza and gramps. Gramps seems kinda worried, and though Erza looks overjoyed, she seems to have detected that whatever Gramps is thinking is important and turned her expression serious.

"Natsu, I need to ask you, What was that fire?" Gramps looks directly into my eyes as he speaks, as if my answer was more important than anything else that has happened.

Knowing Gramps is the biggest partyer of them all when he has a reason to celebrate, I realize that his absence of enjoying the win means I should take this issue seriously. "I… I really don't know, Gramps."

My answer seems to spur him on, "How do you make that fire? You created flames in a magic free zone. It is impossible! You must know!" Gramps is sounding desperate now. I don't understand why he is so upset.

Erza steps in,"Master, the guild is slowly regaining its strength, that must mean the magic energy is coming back right? Maybe Natsu just regained it faster than anyone else?"

Gramps sighs as he shakes his head, " No, the ethernanos are returning partly from the atmosphere around the zone but they are not and never will be enough to allow a wizard to use magic in this zone, let alone of that magnitude. You still cannot use magic, can you?"

Erza looks down at the ground, obviously embarrassed that her lack of magic so thoroughly disproves her own theory. I look between them, and just want to break the growing tension I feel again.

" I've done a lot of amazing things before,I just punched him, that's it! I don't know why the fire appeared." If he noticed my description of the fire as though it had a mind of its own, he didn't comment on it. The next sentence was partly to reassure myself, "It's just fire."

"No, that was not just fire!" The declaration was unexpected and I turn towards Gray standing behind me. Every muscle in his body is tense, like he is preparing for a fight. "That fire was wrong. I've been beating your fire for half my life and it has never felt like that."

His declaration shocks me. How could Gray detect the change in my fire? I didn't realize how well we knew each other's fighting styles but now that I think of it, I noticed right away when he used that new magic earlier, though I didn't comment on it.

Gray continues his argument, " Plus, that fire, it was not just different, it felt… wrong … somehow. "

"What! If anything is wrong it's your snow cone magic! Or the way you take off clothes every 10 minutes, or how you - "

"I'm not interested in your opinion, Flame brain! There is nothing wrong with me!"

" Your face is wrong with you!" (1)

As soon as I let loose my last comment I feel a great, dark presences looming over me. A shiver runs down my spine as I hear the words," Play nice boys, or I will make you!"

With an audible gulp, Gray and I grasp each other around the shoulders and give our best 'nice playing' smiles, which could also be interpreted as our 'please don't hurt us Erza smiles'. Our response is immediate, " Aye sir!"

With our visible shaking, Erza is satisfied and once again lets the Master have the floor. Gramps sighs again, an amused but still slightly worried sounding sigh. " Alright, we will leave this mystery for later." I see that oh so familiar gleam in his eyes return. He raises his fist to the sky and shouts, " After all, we have some partying to do!"

A cheer goes up from the crowd, growing in intensity when we see the rest of our guild running from over the mountain to join us. They look as though some of them are having trouble keeping up with the rest of the group without their magic to help. Doranbolt is noticeably lagging behind.

At the front of the group is Lisanna and Wendy, each holding an exceed. The groups merge together when they are close enough and clasp hands, clap shoulders and laugh as they retell everything that happened since the face mechanism went off.

"Natsu!" I turn to see a panting Wendy running towards me. She stops in front of me and gives me a shy but brilliant smile. She is followed by Porlylusica slightly behind her. "Natsu, Lucy told me you were hurt and I can't use my magic but Porlylusica is a doctor so I asked her to come and help!"

With Wendy's hurried explanation done, the doctor comes forward with her usual grimace of dislike and carefully takes my wrist in her hand. She hums in disapproval as though I had caused the injury to myself but quickly begins wrapping it firmly in gauze. When she is done she heads back over to where Laxus and the others were slowly recovering.

I turn back to Lucy next to me intent on making sure she was okay but I am interrupted. Most probably couldn't hear it at first but I could hear faint laughter. It was growing in intensity and it sent shivers down my spine. Being a fire dragonslayer makes that fact all the more foreboding. When I realized who the laughter was coming from my eyes widened in shock.

Others were hearing it now. They also turned to look with confusion on their faces from the unfamiliar laughter. When they realised it was the demon I had sent sprawling there faces looked shocked as well. The air was now silent except for the laughter that echoed in the valley like a scream. It was powerful. It was twisted. But the most unnerving thing about it was how utterly gleeful it sounded. It was a laugh of triumph from the losing side.

Mard Geer himself was walking towards the guild members. Though he seemed to be limping weakly. His head was lying against his chest as he limped yet as we continued looking he threw his face up to the sky and let loose another bought of what could only be characterized as maniacal laughter. Not as funny as you think it would be.

As he turns his face to us I see it is covered in blood from my fist's impact and his jaw looks slightly his eyes seem to hold a broken look to them. Through this however he still shouts his next words.

"You are fools! Fools! Fools! Fools! I never realized! No one realized!" He continues his outburst with another set of laughter. "He was here all along! The demon, END!"

I see Happy out of the corner of my eye, whispering to Carla. "He's looossttt it!"

Carla remains unamused. I see several of the guild start to relax when they see the shape that the now crazy demon is in. I will not let my guard down. He may be powerless and weak but so is the rest of the guild. I will not underestimate him again.

I hear Erza's powerful voice speak from behind me, "What are you talking about, Mard Geer!? You have lost and face's activation has been limited. You lose. The book is gone!" She ends her declaration with a tone of confidence yet the enemy's triumphant expression does not change.

He continues his ranting, "How could I have not seen it? Lord Zeref, you are truly the most powerful and ingenious of them all! You dominate the lands, though these pathetic weaklings do not see it!"

He took a step towards us and I reach for my regular fire but can not feel it. Where is it? Why can't I bring it out? I have never been more unnerved in my life. I feel powerless and I know I have no other choice but to call on my new fire.

He steps closer to my guild and I bring back the strange fire I had discovered though I loathed to do it. As the fire consumed my fists I felt renewed hatred of the man before me. "Another step and I will turn you to ash!" I did not doubt that this new power could easily do so. If I did not know any better I would think that this fire was filling me with it's own emotions. I shrug off my unease and catalog the thought for later. I have a demon to pulverize.

He stops and his insidious grin widens, though he watches my hands carefully, obviously just as wary of my power as I am. "You still doubt me and yet the evidence stands before you." His right hand gestures towards me.

I can suddenly feel all eyes on my body. I hear someone from the back of my crowd of guildmates behind me yell out, "What are you talking about? It's only Natsu!" I feel my stomach drop though I have no idea why. I feel as though I am quickly becoming trapped in a corner and I am positive that I do not want to hear the next words being said.

"The only one who has magic after the activation of face. Who is able to use it though your little guild is still weak. I have been trying to to resurrect the greatest demon of all time and yet he has been here all along. Though he may not have known it himself."He gives one last chuckle before fixing his gaze beyond me. "Tell me… Fairy Tail… have you always known you had a demon in your midst?".

(1). My brothers and I always say that to each other. It doesn't have to make sense. It's still fun. Try it. Someone asks you any question just reply, "Your face!". The facial expressions are worth it!

Again. Thanks for reading. I was planning on making this chapter longer but i wanted to make sure I covered everything now that it's getting more complicated. I would love to hear feedback and ideas again. Also if I have left any gaps or questions unanswered please let me know and I'll fix them in the next chapter. Thanks to those who favorited and followed and extra points to those who reviewed! ( They are my favorite!).


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